6 June 2014, Rome-- A new publication released today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is calling for a shift towards a "climate-smart" approach to agriculture. According to FAO this shift will not only help prevent future food security crises, may spark economic and agricultural renewal in rural areas where hunger and poverty are most prevalent. Highlighting case studies in "climate-smart agriculture" from around the globe, the publication titled FAO success stories on climate-smart agriculture shows that many rural communities are already successfully making the transition to new forms of farming better suited to the rigors of a warmer world.

Leslie Lipper is a Senior Environmental Economist with FAO in Rome. In the following interview she elaborates on the need for a climate smart approach to production, what that means and examples of how this approach has worked.